


Even Heroes Have the Right to Bleed

by capsicleonyourleft



Category: DCU, DCU (Movies), Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Brainwashing, Green Kryptonite, Implied/Referenced Character Death, M/M, supercap
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-15
Updated: 2015-09-15
Packaged: 2018-04-20 23:31:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 786
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4806359
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/capsicleonyourleft/pseuds/capsicleonyourleft
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Clark is concerned that a day will come when he'll need to be stopped. As a precaution, he gives the one thing that can harm him to the person he trusts the most.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> When discussing Clark/Steve on Tumblr, chrisdoritoevans said, "[Ca]n you imagine the look on Steve's face when Clark hands him a lead lined box and tells him to keep it safe and when Steve tries to protest all Clark says is 'I trust you.'" This is the result.

“Promise me,” Clark says as he hands Steve the small box, “Promise me that if I--that you’ll use it if you have to.”

Steve’s stomach drops. The box feels heavier than is should in his hands. He knows what’s in it, of course, and it makes him want to destroy it. Making sure it’s angled away from Clark, he uses his finger to lift the top, just a crack, enough to catch a glimpse of the gleaming green rock, the colour of poison. It’s a small piece, its size incongruous with the kind of damage it can inflict. The sight of it makes him nauseous, as if he were the one affected by its properties. He lets the top drop back down with a thump. 

“Clark,” he says, his voice chocked up and horrified. “No.  _No--”_

“Please,” says Clark, cupping Steve’s face in his hands. “I trust you.”


	2. Chapter 2

The ringing in Steve’s ears muffles the sound of blaring sirens in the distance. With a grunt, he flings away a large piece of debris that fell on his chest, crawling his way from underneath the ruins. His vision is spotty and he feels dizzy. When he brings his hand to the back of his head, it comes back bloody. Definitely a head wound, then. He looks around for a sign of any of his teammates, but finds only a lone figure surrounded by the wreckage of a demolished building, injured but very much alert.

“ _Clark_ ,” he croaks, voice hoarse and desperate as it all comes rushing back to him. He gets up, propping his weight on one knee before coming to a full stand. He limps his way to Clark, scanning him for injuries, hoping against hope that they’ve somehow managed to break Luthor’s control. There has to be a way to reverse the brainwashing, to bring Clark back, and they’ll find it. Tony and Bruce will find it. And when it’s all over, Steve is going to wring Luthor’s neck with his bare hands.

The moment Steve is within reach, Clark’s hand wraps around his throat, squeezing tight. He lifts him bodily off the ground, holding him in midair as Steve struggles for breath, uselessly kicking his legs. Steve’s hands come up to circle around Clark’s wrist, grip tight but ultimately futile against a Kryptonian’s strength.

“K—K—al,” he tries to say, but it comes out garbled.  _This isn’t you_ , he wants to say as Clark’s eyes begin flashing a threatening red.  _You can fight this_. He begins to feel lightheaded, and he’s going to lose consciousness any moment—

Steve is released so suddenly that he ends up sprawled on the ground, clutching his sore throat and taking panicked lungfuls of air. He scrambles to his feet to find Clark on his knees, his back hunched and fists clenched.

“ _Steve_ ,” he says, his voice barely a whisper.

Immediately, Steve drops to kneel in front of him, reaching for him. “Clark,” he says urgently, relief washing over him. He cards his fingers through Clark’s hair, tilting his chin up. His eyes are tight around the corners, but they’re back to their usual blue colour, the threat of his heat vision gone.

“Steve,” Clark says again, sounding pained. Now that they’re close, Steve notices the smear of red between his lips and tries to remember which one of his teammates delivered that particular punch. Had it been Steve? “He’s in my head. I can’t—I can’t block it.”

“I know, I know,” Steve says, trying not to let his own panic come through. “He’s synthesized different types of kryptonite to be able to control you. You’ve been injected with it. Iron Man and Batman are working on reversing it, all right, it’s going to be okay—”

“You have to end this,” Clark interrupts, his voice growing frantic. He makes a feeble grab for Steve’s utility belt. “The green kryptonite, you have to—you have to use it.”

“No!” Steve roars, prying Clark’s fingers away. “Tony and Bruce will fix this. You just have to hold on—”

“I can’t fight it for much longer,” Clark says. The words sound like they’ve been punched out of him. He’s in pain fighting Luthor’s grasp, his body tense, like it’s about to collapse from the duality. “I can’t fight it. Don’t let me hurt anyone else.”

“You won’t,” Steve says in a rush, desperately hanging on to the last threads of hope. He reaches for Clark’s cheek, cupping it. “We’ll find a way—”

“ _Please_ ,” Clark says, clenching his bloodied teeth. He wraps his hand around Steve’s wrist, tight and commanding. His control is starting to slip, giving way to Luthor’s will. “ _You promised_. You promised you’d use it.  _Finish it_.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I ticked off the 'major character death' warning to make sure that those who don't like it are not blindsided by it. However, in my mind, they do find a way to save Clark and Steve doesn't use the kryptonite. I may, at some point, write another part that deals with the ramification that has on their relationship.
> 
> Come say hello on [Tumblr](http://capsicleonyourleft.tumblr.com/) if you want to discuss Clark/Steve!


End file.
